less than a year ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab, the legal troubles of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) are set to escalate as the cases pertaining to the de-recognition of the party are inching towards the conclusion.
The Delhi High court is expected to deliver its verdict on April 5 i.e., next Tuesday in the petition filed by Balwant Singh Khera, executive member of the Socialist Party (India) in which the petitioner had sought de-recognition of the party in 2010. The petition is to be taken up on April 5 in which the court had reserved its judgment on Nov 5, 2015 and the petitioner has already raised objection on the delay in pronouncement of the judgment.
In the petition filed by Balwant Singh Khera, he had alleged that SAD, which was formed out of SGPC in the 1920s as a religio-political party, has failed to delink itself from the Sikh religion. The petitioner had accused SAD of defrauding with the people by maintaining dual constitution of the party.
The petitioner, Khera, who was in Chandigarh on Friday, said that the SAD in its affidavit to the Election Commission of India had declared it to be a secular party in 1989 but it has been constantly participating in the elections of Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, which is a religious institution of Sikh community.
While the verdict in the petition filed by Khera in Delhi High Court is expected soon, the hearing in the criminal complaint filed by Khera in Hoshiarpur district court against the adoption of dual constitution by the SAD is to be taken up on April 2 i.e., Saturday.
Hoshiarpur Court had issued warrants against Charanjit Singh Brar, Secretary of the SAD and has directed him to appear in court with the record of the constitution. The court has also sought the record of proceedings of the meeting in which the constitution of the party was finalised.
In the criminal complaint in Hoshiarpur court, the petition said that the party has filed constitutions on different lines with the Gurdwara Election Commission and the Election Commission of India. In this complaint, senior leaders of SAD core committee including Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Dr Daljeet Singh Cheem and Balwinder Singh Bhunder etc. have been made respondents.
Apparently, the ruling SAD seems to be in for a major legal impediment in which the recognition of the party is at stake.